Situation in Lebanon shapes fears with the US
10/10/2024 6:12
The U.S. State Department on Wednesday warned that it would
be unacceptable for Israel's military incursion in southern
Lebanon to evolve into a situation similar to its invasion of
the Gaza Strip.
"We cannot and must not see the situation in Lebanon
turn into anything like the situation in Gaza. That would, of
course, not be acceptable," State Department spokesperson
Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular news briefing when
asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments
on Tuesday.
"I'm making very clear that there should be no kind of
military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and
leaves a result anything like Gaza."
Netanyahu said on Tuesday in a video message directed at
the people of Lebanon that Hezbollah was weaker than it had been
in many years and urged Lebanese to "take back your country."
"Don't let these terrorists destroy your future any more
than they've already done," Netanyahu said. "You have an
opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a
long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see
in Gaza. It doesn't have to be that way."
Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed
nearly 42,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023, according to the
enclave's health ministry. It has displaced nearly all its 2.3
million people and wrought a humanitarian crisis with widespread
hunger and a breakdown in healthcare and critical
infrastructure.
Hamas-led militants stormed through Israeli towns and
kibbutz villages near the border on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200
people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli
tallies.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel last Oct. 8,
citing solidarity with Hamas.
Israeli strikes have hit the group's stronghold in
Beirut's southern suburbs on a nightly basis, and ground
incursions have expanded to additional parts of Lebanon's
southern border with Israel.
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